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| A Russian airstrike hit Idlib in northern Syria yesterday. Mohammed Al Rifai/EPA, via Shutterstock |
Russia and Iran pledged support for Syria’s president
Russia and Iran, the staunchest allies of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, pledged to stand behind his government yesterday, sending warplanes and voicing diplomatic support, as his forces attempted to repel a startling rebel advance.
It remains to be seen if they can back that rhetoric up by stopping the rebels, especially since neither country has committed to sending ground troops. Instead, Russian and Syrian fighter jets were striking targets across territory seized by rebels in northwestern Syria yesterday, according to Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Observatory, a Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes had killed both civilians and fighters. Yet the rebels appeared to continue their advance through Aleppo, once Syria’s largest city, and the surrounding areas, battling pro-Assad forces to capture more territory in Hama Province in western Syria.
Background: Russian and Iranian officials have propped al-Assad up with military and diplomatic aid since the rebellion began to threaten his autocratic rule in 2011.
Go deeper: The rebel group leading the current offensive, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, says it wants to replace the Assad government with one inspired by Islamic principles. Here’s what to know.
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| Soldiers patrolling yesterday in Avivim, Israel, near the Lebanese border. Amir Levy/Getty Images |
Hezbollah and Israel traded fire, straining a cease-fire
Hezbollah fired at Israeli-controlled territory yesterday for the first time since a cease-fire was reached last week. In response, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes in Lebanon. Each side has blamed the other for violating the tenuous truce.
Hezbollah described its launches as “an initial defensive response that serves as a warning” and said they were prompted by “repeated violations of the agreement by the Israeli enemy.” The Hezbollah projectiles hit a strip of land called Shebaa Farms — Mount Dov to Israelis — that was seized by Israel in 1967 but is also claimed by Lebanon. There were no reported casualties.
In response, the Israeli military said it had bombarded sites “throughout Lebanon,” including dozens of missile launchers. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 people and wounded three others in Lebanon yesterday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
In other news:
| The cease-fire deal may have cost Hamas its most important ally in its war with Israel, according to U.S. officials.In a post on social media, President-elect Donald Trump demanded that the hostages held in Gaza be released before his inauguration in January, warning that there would be “hell to pay” if they weren’t.Israel’s armed forces have been fortifying military bases and demolishing Palestinian buildings in Gaza, suggesting plans to exert long-term control over the enclave. |
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| Prime Minister Michel Barnier at the National Assembly in Paris last month. Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters |
France’s opposition parties called for a no-confidence vote
Prime Minister Michel Barnier of France faces a no-confidence vote after pushing through a budget bill without a final parliamentary vote yesterday, making a government collapse increasingly likely.
Lawmakers from both a left-wing alliance and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party swiftly filed motions for no-confidence votes, which could come as early as tomorrow.
Context: The prospect of a government collapse — and of a failure to pass a budget by year’s end — has rattled financial markets and sharply increased France’s borrowing costs. Turmoil has deepened since snap elections this past summer yielded no clear parliamentary majority.
Details: Article 49.3 of the French Constitution enables a government to push a bill through the National Assembly, France’s lower house of Parliament, without a vote. The provision has increasingly been seen as undemocratic.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
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| Yuri Kochetkov/EPA, via Shutterstock |
| Russia: The wartime economy is slowing, causing tensions among the country’s economic elites, as the war with Ukraine approaches its fourth year. Elon Musk: A Delaware judge affirmed her earlier ruling that Tesla’s giant pay package for its chief executive, worth more than $50 billion, must be rescinded. Hunter Biden: Several Democrats criticized President Biden’s decision to pardon his son, saying it would damage Americans’ waning faith in democracy and the rule of law. (Read how and why the president changed his mind on the matter.) Georgia: Thousands of protesters demonstrated in front of Parliament for the fifth night in a row yesterday. Here’s what to know about the political crisis. Romania: A center-left party won the most votes in a parliamentary election, but a strong nationalist showing could make the formation of a stable, Western-oriented government difficult. Tech: Intel’s chief executive stepped down after nearly four years leading the semiconductor company. Ukraine: The Pentagon will send Ukraine an additional $725 million in military assistance from its stockpiles. Canada: As the permafrost is lost to climate change, the Indigenous residents of Tuktoyaktuk know they’ll have to move, but they don’t agree on when. China: Diplomats made a secret plan to bring Uyghurs trapped in China to the U.S., reuniting them with their families. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Soccer: The Ipswich captain Sam Morsy chose not to wear a rainbow armband during an initiative to promote LGBTQ+ acceptance because of his religious beliefs. Baseball: The Golden At-Bat rule could give the sport a new shine. But is it worth it? Formula 1: The FIA has explained the reasons behind Lando Norris’s severe penalty during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix and the delay in deploying the safety car. |
| MORNING READ |
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| Amir Hamja for The New York Times |
Within a few hours’ drive of Mexico City, centuries-old estates known as haciendas have become restaurants, museums, hotels and even water parks. In all of them, beauty and history linger.
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
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| LeeAndra Cianci |
31 days of holiday delight
The holidays can be joyous — and complicated. Every day this month, The Times will offer small pleasures, reflections and distractions as part of our “31 Days” series. To get things started, Genevieve Ko, a Food columnist, wrote about her tradition of baking different cookies every year to give her children a sense of amazement as they grow.
Sign up for our email newsletter to catch a holiday playlist from Jennifer Hudson, read about the return of Chrismukkah and find out why Scandinavian gnomes are so appealing.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
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| David Malosh for The New York Times |
Cook: Bring sunshine to your day with a colorful taverna salad.
